[Skip to main content](https://www.customink.com/blog/#main-content) 15% Off Bags and Drinkware - Prices as Marked.\*15% Off Bags and Drinkware - Prices as Marked.\* [Shop Sale](https://www.customink.com/products/promotional-products/view-all/483?fg-product-type%5B%5D=Bags&fg-product-type%5B%5D=Drinkware) - Custom T-shirts - Custom Apparel - Promotional Products - Groups & Events - [Design Lab](https://www.customink.com/lab) - [My Cart](https://www.customink.com/checkout/summary?cart_source=header) - [Visit a Store](https://locations.customink.com/) [Sign In](https://www.customink.com/profiles/users/sign_in) Chat Now [855-256-1652](tel:855-256-1652) [Customer Support Headset](tel:855-256-1652 "Customer Support Headset") Help Talk to a Real Person [855-256-1652](tel:855-256-1652) Chat with a Real Person Chat Now Chat Now [Favorites](https://www.customink.com/products/favorites) [Sign In](https://www.customink.com/profiles/users/sign_in) ## Sign In Sign in to your account to access saved designs, track orders, and more. [Sign In](https://www.customink.com/profiles/users/sign_in) [Create An Account](https://www.customink.com/profiles/users/sign_up) [Cart](https://www.customink.com/checkout/summary?cart_source=header) [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [Holiday Giveaway Ideas for Small Business: Branded Gift Baskets Customers Actually Keep](https://www.customink.com/blog/holiday-giveaway-ideas-for-small-business/) Twelve months from now, one of your customers will still be using a gift you gave them this holiday season. The others will be forgotten by February. According to ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study, 78% of consumers hold onto a branded item for a single reason: it’s useful. That insight should shape your entire holiday marketing \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/holiday-giveaway-ideas-for-small-business/) [April 27, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/holiday-giveaway-ideas-for-small-business/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Ink is More Than You Think](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/ink-is-more-than-you-think/) ## [The School Spirit Gap Survey: Is Your School Paying the Turnout Tax?](https://www.customink.com/blog/school-spirit-gap-survey/) School spirit doesn’t happen by accident — and neither does the gap between schools that have it and schools that don’t. Our School Spirit Gap Survey — a 2026 survey of 447 PTA coordinators, booster club leads, athletic directors, teachers, and school administrators across the country — puts a number on what we call \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/school-spirit-gap-survey/) [April 21, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/school-spirit-gap-survey/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Branding & Design](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/design/) ## [Wearable Marketing for Small Businesses: How to Design Custom Hats & Apparel](https://www.customink.com/blog/wearable-marketing-for-small-business/) A branded hat delivers high-impact advertising. It’s worn for an average of 10 months and generates about 3,400 impressions over its lifetime, at a cost-per-impression of just 3/10 of a cent, according to ASI’s Ad Impressions research. That ROI is unbeatable for small business owners who need every marketing dollar \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/wearable-marketing-for-small-business/) [April 20, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/wearable-marketing-for-small-business/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * * * * [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [Don’t Be the Invisible Booth: Pop-Up Shop & Trade Show Marketing for Small Business](https://www.customink.com/blog/pop-up-shop-trade-show-marketing/) There is a moment every first-time trade show exhibitor knows: you spend months planning, order everything on time, set up the booth, and then realize the exhibit next to yours has a floor-to-ceiling backlit display, matching staff polos, and a prize wheel drawing a crowd. Your folding table with a paper sign and a pile of business cards \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/pop-up-shop-trade-show-marketing/) [April 19, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/pop-up-shop-trade-show-marketing/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [The Business Owner’s Guide to Marketing Collateral: Stickers, Signs & Flyers](https://www.customink.com/blog/marketing-collateral-guide/) Most marketing advice for small businesses recommend blog posts, white papers, and social media ads. Ask any industry source to define “marketing collateral” and you will get a list that reads like a corporate B2B playbook: brochures, case studies, sell sheets. What gets left out is everything that actually gets small \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/marketing-collateral-guide/) [April 18, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/marketing-collateral-guide/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [10+ Best Promotional Products to Grow Your Small Business](https://www.customink.com/blog/best-promo-products-small-business/) Promo products are one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your business. T-shirts are the industry’s top-selling category, generating $4.2 billion in annual sales according to the ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study. From bags and drinkware to headwear and stationery, branded merchandise is a $27.7 billion industry because it \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/best-promo-products-small-business/) [April 17, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/best-promo-products-small-business/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [7 Affordable Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses (Using Branded Products)](https://www.customink.com/blog/affordable-small-business-marketing-strategies/) Most small business owners think of branded products as a nice-to-have expense. The numbers say otherwise. This guide covers seven of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available for small businesses, and makes the case that well-chosen small business gear, swag, and merch belong near the top of the list. In This Article Key \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/affordable-small-business-marketing-strategies/) [April 16, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/affordable-small-business-marketing-strategies/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Sales & Marketing](https://www.customink.com/blog/category/marketing/) ## [How to Make Merch in 2026: The Creator’s Complete Guide](https://www.customink.com/blog/how-to-make-creator-merch/) Goldman Sachs projects the creator economy will reach $480 billion by 2027, and merchandise is one of the only income streams where the creator, not the platform, keeps the margin. No algorithm changes, no revenue-share tiers, no ad rates tied to engagement dips. Your brand on a product your audience actually wants to own. We’ve \[...\] [Continue Reading...](https://www.customink.com/blog/how-to-make-creator-merch/) [April 15, 2026](https://www.customink.com/blog/how-to-make-creator-merch/) [Custom Ink Staff](https://www.customink.com/blog/author/justinmckinney/) * * * [Custom Ink News & Events **Ink Is More Than You Think**\\ \\ * * *](https://www.customink.com/blog/brand-update/) [Custom Ink News & Events **The Unsung Heroes of Swag: New Survey Reveals the Hidden Work Behind Your Team’s Custom Gear**\\ \\ * * *](https://www.customink.com/blog/swag-organizer-survey/) [Custom Ink News & Events **2026 Swag Trends: The Gear Your Team Will Actually Keep**\\ \\ * * *](https://www.customink.com/blog/2026-swag-trends/) [Custom Ink News & Events **Infinity Wardrobe: T-shirts Worn by the Avengers On-Screen**\\ \\ * * *](https://www.customink.com/blog/infinity-wardrobe-t-shirts-worn-by-the-avengers-on-screen/) [Custom Ink News & Events **11 Pop Culture Family Shirt Mashups**\\ \\ * * *](https://www.customink.com/blog/11-pop-culture-family-shirt-mashups/) [Previous Slide](https://www.customink.com/blog/#) [Next Slide](https://www.customink.com/blog/#) [Facebook](https://www.customink.com/blog/) [Twitter](https://www.customink.com/blog/) [Linkedin](https://www.customink.com/blog/) [Pinterest](https://www.customink.com/blog/) [Email](https://www.customink.com/blog/) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/) Hide photo (admin) Add ID to the **Hide Specific Photos** setting: